Gov. Josh Stein lauded a new paleontological finding in Raleigh, calling the reclassification of the predator in the Museum of Natural Sciences’ Dueling Dinosaurs “the biggest dinosaur discovery of the decade.” Researchers now identify the carnivore as a mature Nanotyrannus lancensis rather than a juvenile T. rex. The 20,000-pound exhibit required structural reinforcement and a lab relocation; the study appears in Nature, led by Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli.
Gov. Josh Stein hails ‘discovery of the decade’ after N.C. Museum fossil reclassified as adult Nanotyrannus
Gov. Josh Stein lauded a new paleontological finding in Raleigh, calling the reclassification of the predator in the Museum of Natural Sciences’ Dueling Dinosaurs “the biggest dinosaur discovery of the decade.” Researchers now identify the carnivore as a mature Nanotyrannus lancensis rather than a juvenile T. rex. The 20,000-pound exhibit required structural reinforcement and a lab relocation; the study appears in Nature, led by Lindsay Zanno and James Napoli.
18:40, 02.11.2025Science
Governor celebrates major paleontology finding at N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences
Democratic Gov. Josh Stein this week praised a new scientific announcement, calling it “the biggest dinosaur discovery of the decade” after researchers reclassified the predator in the Museum of Natural Sciences’ high-profile display.
The centerpiece of the museum’s DinoLab is the Dueling Dinosaurs — two Montana fossils long believed to represent a triceratops and a juvenile Tyrannosaurus rex. Museum officials and paleontologists announced that the carnivore is instead a fully grown Nanotyrannus lancensis, a finding reported in the journal Nature and led by Lindsay Zanno of N.C. State University and James Napoli of Stony Brook University.
The mounted exhibit weighs roughly 20,000 pounds. Installing it required reinforcing the museum’s load-bearing capacity with steel and relocating the lab to the building’s first floor, changes previously reported by The News & Observer.
“This is the biggest dinosaur discovery of the decade, and I am proud that it is happening right here in North Carolina,” Gov. Stein said, praising the state’s public universities and museums for their role in scientific research and advancement.
The DinoLab is designed for public engagement: its entrance faces Jones Street near the N.C. Legislative Building and opens beside the museum’s giant two-story globe. Visitors can watch paleontologists at work and speak with researchers in real time, making the discovery visible to thousands of annual visitors and helping highlight the role of public institutions in supporting scientific breakthroughs.
For readers who want more detail, the reclassification and supporting analysis are published in Nature, and further reporting is available from The News & Observer and the museum’s communications.